Tsat language

Tsat
Native to	China
Region	Hainan
Ethnicity	Utsul
Native speakers	4,000 (2007)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian Malayo-Sumbawan Chamic Highlands Northern Chamic Tsat
Language codes
ISO 639-3	huq
Glottolog	tsat1238

Tsat (also known as Utsat, Utset, Huíhuī, or Hainan Cham, simplified Chinese: 回辉语; traditional Chinese: 回輝語; pinyin: Huíhuīyǔ) is a language spoken by 4,500 people in Yanglan (Chinese: 羊栏) and Huixin (Chinese: 回新), two villages on the outskirts of near Sanya, Hainan, China by the Utsuls. Tsat is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian group within the Austronesian language family, and is one of the Chamic languages originating on the coast of present-day Vietnam.

Unusually for an Austronesian language, Tsat has developed into a solidly tonal language, probably as a result of areal linguistic effects and contact with the diverse tonal languages spoken on Hainan including varieties of Chinese such as Hainanese and Standard Chinese, Tai–Kadai languages such as the Hlai languages, and Hmong–Mien languages such as Kim Mun.

Tonogenesis

Hainan Cham tones correspond to various Proto-Chamic sounds.

Hainan Cham Tonogenesis

Tone value (Hainan Cham)	Type of tone (Hainan Cham)	Proto-Chamic final sound
55	High	*-h, *-s; PAN *-q
42	Falling	*-p, *-t, *-k, *-c, *-ʔ; *-ay Voiced final: default
24	Rising	*-p, *-t, *-k, *-c, *-ʔ; *-ay Voiceless final: voiced stop / affricate initial
11	Low	Vowels and nasals Voiced final: default
33	Mid	Vowels and nasals Voiceless final: voiced stop / affricate initial

External links

• Recent papers on Tsat